Hands (Handen – 4 parts)

About this artwork.

"The pasture area to the north of the Selwerderhof cemetery has a rich history. In the Middle Ages, there was Selwerd Castle, Maria Virgo monastery and also a gallows field. A watchtower – designed by Maarten Schmidt – offers a view of the sloping grassland that was once the Selwerd castle grounds. 

This history is the starting point of the four poems that can be read in the four Corten steel hands in the area. The poems were written by Jan van den Berg, Albertina Soepboer and Lammert Tiesinga. The shape of the hands corresponds to that of the respective poets. 

The hands mark the location of the former castle grounds. Remnants of the castle were discovered by chance in the 1990's, when the area was being prepared for construction of the Zernike campus. In the Middle Ages, the castle was home to the Lords of Selwerd. They ruled Groningen from the twelfth century onwards. A notorious descendant of this lineage was Rudolf van Prediker, who was also known as the “Pirate of the Reitdiep”. He was beheaded in 1357 by the rulers of the city of Groningen. 

In addition to the hands, the watchtower of Maarten Schmitt also marks this area of the former Selwerd Castle."

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Lammert Tiesinga
  Albertina Soepboer
  Jan van den Berg

• District
  Zernike

• Year of creation
  1999

• Art type
  Design

• Material
  Cortenstaal

• Dimensions
  h 1,65 x b max. 0,70 m